Association between indoor-outdoor green features and psychological health during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: A cross-sectional nationwide study

Spano, Giuseppina; D’Este, Marina; Giannico, Vincenzo; Elia, Mario; Cassibba, Rosalinda; Lafortezza, Raffaele; Sanesi, Giovanni

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127156

Cited by 82 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 67 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…First and foremost is the low sample number of WUI residents who have had at least one wildfire experience, and, consequently, after matching, the low number of paired non-residents. It is worth pointing out that the presence of restrictive measures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible to collect data with paper and pencil tools in these areas [42]. However, considering that the WUI population in Italy is highly variable and heterogeneous [2,43], we were able to detect only a small percentage of participants recruited by word-of-mouth and social media sharing in our general sample.…”

Section: Study Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Is Experience the Best Teacher? Knowledge, Perceptions, and Awareness of Wildfire Risk

Spano

Elia

Cappelluti

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Wildfires represent a natural phenomenon with detrimental effects on natural resources and human health. A better knowledge, perception, and awareness of wildfire risk may help communities at risk of exposure to prevent future events and safeguard their own lives. The aim of this study is to explore differences between individuals with and without previous wildfire experience, in terms of (1) subjective and advanced wildfire knowledge, (2) self-reported perceptions, (3) level of information, (4) self-protection measures, and (5) importance of community involvement. As a second step, we investigated differences in the same variables, focusing more deeply on a group of individuals with previous wildfire experience, classifying them according to fire-related employment (fire-related workers vs. non-workers) and wildland–urban interface (WUI) proximity (WUI residents vs. non-WUI residents). The Kruskal–Wallis test was applied to establish differences between the pairs of subsamples. Our results partially confirmed our hypothesis, that direct experience leads individuals to have a greater preparedness on the topic of wildfires. Perception of knowledge is reflected only at a shallow level of expertise, and, therefore, no relevant within-group differences related to fire-related employment or to WUI proximity were detected. Moreover, available information was perceived to be insufficient, thus we report a strong need for developing effective communication to high-risk groups, such as homeowners and fire-related workers.

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Section: Study Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Is Experience the Best Teacher? Knowledge, Perceptions, and Awareness of Wildfire Risk

Spano

Elia

Cappelluti

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Higher levels of visibility of houseplants and/or natural greenery from a window, terrace or balcony were associated with reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms among Bulgarian young adults [148]. The presence of a greater amount of plants, green views from windows and availability of access to private natural spaces were strongly associated with improved psychological health outcomes-anxiety, moodiness and sleep disturbance-in Italian dwellers during the COVID-19 home confinement [155]. In Singapore, healthy adults with lower nature exposure during the stay-at-home order reported an increase in the severity of depressive symptoms post-COVID-19-related lockdown [156].…”

Section: Buffering Effect Of Housing Conditions On Resident's Mental Health During Covid-19 Lockdownmentioning

confidence: 90%

The Interplay between Housing Environmental Attributes and Design Exposures and Psychoneuroimmunology Profile—An Exploratory Review and Analysis Paper in the Cancer Survivors’ Mental Health Morbidity Context

Hernandez-Garcia

Chrysikou

Kalea

2021

IJERPH

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Adult cancer survivors have an increased prevalence of mental health comorbidities and other adverse late-effects interdependent with mental illness outcomes compared with the general population. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) heralds an era of renewed call for actions to identify sustainable modalities to facilitate the constructs of cancer survivorship care and health care delivery through physiological supportive domestic spaces. Building on the concept of therapeutic architecture, psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) indicators—with the central role in low-grade systemic inflammation—are associated with major psychiatric disorders and late effects of post-cancer treatment. Immune disturbances might mediate the effects of environmental determinants on behaviour and mental disorders. Whilst attention is paid to the non-objective measurements for examining the home environmental domains and mental health outcomes, little is gathered about the multidimensional effects on physiological responses. This exploratory review presents a first analysis of how addressing the PNI outcomes serves as a catalyst for therapeutic housing research. We argue the crucial component of housing in supporting the sustainable primary care and public health-based cancer survivorship care model, particularly in the psychopathology context. Ultimately, we illustrate a series of interventions aiming at how housing environmental attributes can trigger PNI profile changes and discuss the potential implications in the non-pharmacological treatment of cancer survivors and patients with mental morbidities.

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“…Those who reported visiting more often the urban green spaces showed greater life satisfaction and happiness, and lower feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety [66]. Even having a green view from one's home was associated with lower negative affect [64]. Interestingly, in a recent study, the frequency of the visit to an urban park lowered depression and anxiety symptoms through increased restorativeness and perceived social support [67].…”

Section: The Role Of Access To Naturementioning

confidence: 98%

“…After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic individuals started to consider nature more essential in their lives [55][56][57]. Access to nature is known to have a beneficial effect on individuals' psychological health and stress [58][59][60], even during lockdowns [55,56,[61][62][63][64][65]. In particular, studies conducted during the pandemic focused on two elements.…”

Section: The Role Of Access To Naturementioning

confidence: 99%

Go Greener, Less Risk: Access to Nature Is Associated with Lower Risk Taking in Different Domains during the COVID-19 Lockdown

et al. 2021

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Specific risk attitude and risky behavior had an important boost during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this contribution, we hypothesize that access to nature during home confinement will decrease both the tendency to passive risk taking and alcohol intake. To do so, we interviewed through an online survey two samples of Italian residents during the strict lockdown due to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, in Study 1, participants were 1519 Italian residents coming from different Italian regions, whilst in Study 2, participants were 182 students at a university of southern Italy who were monitored for one week. In Study 1, the hierarchical regression analysis attested that access to nature during the lockdown mitigated the tendency to passive risk taking, over and beyond the effect of socio-demographic variables and the psychological construct of impulsiveness, an important personality correlate of risk taking. In Study 2, the hierarchical regression showed that access to green was associated with fewer glasses of alcohol drunk in a week of lockdown. This effect held over and above the effect of socio-demographic variables and the drinking behavior before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In both studies, findings confirmed the beneficial effect of access to nature in specific risk-taking domains. Theoretical future directions, as well as practical implications for the management of the COVID-19 emergency by policymakers, are discussed.

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Association between indoor-outdoor green features and psychological health during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: A cross-sectional nationwide study

Cited by 82 publications

References 67 publications

Is Experience the Best Teacher? Knowledge, Perceptions, and Awareness of Wildfire Risk

Is Experience the Best Teacher? Knowledge, Perceptions, and Awareness of Wildfire Risk

The Interplay between Housing Environmental Attributes and Design Exposures and Psychoneuroimmunology Profile—An Exploratory Review and Analysis Paper in the Cancer Survivors’ Mental Health Morbidity Context

Go Greener, Less Risk: Access to Nature Is Associated with Lower Risk Taking in Different Domains during the COVID-19 Lockdown

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